Medford setback doesn't affect mid-valley projects, company says

By Hasso Hering

Albany Democrat-Herald

Wal-Mart has suffered a setback in Medford, but a spokesman says this has no effect on the company's plans in Lebanon and Albany.

The development plans in each city are independent of each other, Wal-Mart spokesman Eric Berger said from Seattle this morning.

In Lebanon, Wal-Mart representatives met with city officials Thursday to work out remaining details related to its planned construction of an 188,000-square foot "supercenter."

City Administrator John Hitt said the meeting settled how the remnants of the historic Santiam Wagon Road near the store site would be maintained: The city will do occasional cleanup and be reimbursed by Wal-Mart.

Having overcome appeals of the city's approval of the plans, the company expects to start construction in July and have the new store ready to open by next spring.

The city of Lebanon will charge the store $152,667 in systems development charges.

In Albany, Wal-Mart has applied for a comprehensive-plan and zone change from industrial to commercial on 23 acres on Pacific Boulevard S.W., including the old Stone Forest plywood mill. The application is under review at the city planning department.

Wal-Mart has sent Albany residents postcards encouraging them to take a stand on the application. Senior planner Don Donovan said so far his folder containing letters and e-mails related to Wal-Mart remains kind of thin, with just five items in it.

"There's sure to be lots more," he said.

Public hearings before the planning commission and City Council on the Albany Wal-Mart application have not been scheduled and are not expected before fall.

In Medford, the City Council Thursday officially rejected Wal-Mart's bid to build a supercenter.

Berger said it was too early to say whether the worldwide retail company, based in Arkansas, would take its Medford case to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. The company has 21 days to decide.

The issue in Medford was not one of zoning but of approving a site plan. Wal-Mart's plan won approval from Medford's architectural commission, but three appeals were filed against that vote.

In neighboring Central Point, the City Council rejected a proposed Wal-Mart center on April 15. That decision is on appeal to LUBA.